


special delivery

by BestDeadFriendsForever



Series: Accidents Happen [8]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Bobby and Athena are Buck's parents you can't change my mind, I'm trans so Buck is too because I said so, M/M, TW: Birth, Trans Evan "Buck" Buckley, Trans Male Character, Trans Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24434389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BestDeadFriendsForever/pseuds/BestDeadFriendsForever
Summary: “How long have you been up?” Eddie asked around a yawn as he squinted at Buck as he went over to grab a mug of coffee.“A while,” Buck admitted as he got down a glass for Christopher.“I could have turned down the air and given Christopher another blanket,” Eddie said and gave Buck a soft frown.“It’s fine,” Buck said and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I probably wouldn’t have gotten much sleep anyway. I went into labor about an hour and a half, two hours ago.” Eddie’s eyes widened as he realized what Buck had said.---It's finally time!!!!
Relationships: Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) & Bobby Nash, Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) & Carla Price, Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) & Isabel Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Athena Grant, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Carla Price, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Howie "Chimney" Han, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley/ Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Series: Accidents Happen [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1713259
Comments: 29
Kudos: 329





	special delivery

If Buck hadn’t been irritable before- what with the ungainliness of being ready to pop in a few weeks, the constant sharp pain in his hips that made getting around incredibly difficult, the way their kid kicked like a horse, and the way his dizzy spells had come back- the first summer heatwave in L.A. had certainly kicked up his ill-temper. Eddie had tried to offset the heat with the air-conditioning, but any time it was at a level for Buck to finally feel like he was cooling down, Christopher complained he was freezing. Eventually, Buck had just told Eddie to leave it where it was so that not everyone in the house had to suffer.

Buck threw off the sheet, not able to handle being in bed anymore, and he grimaced in pain as another electric jolt shot burned down his legs from his hip. He slipped from the bed, grabbing his phone off the nightstand, and slowly wandered into the kitchen to get a glass of water to try and cool down in what little way he could.

He sighed heavily after taking a few sips and he rubbed at his eyes as he glanced over at the clock glowing from the stove. It was nearly 4:00 in the morning. He and Eddie both had shifts at 7:00 and since Christopher was already out of school, Carla was going to come over around 6:00 to keep an eye on him until Buck’s shift, which was shorter than Eddie’s, was over.

Buck finished the rest of his water and it helped to cool him down a little, but he still didn’t think he could try and go back to sleep. And he didn’t want to toss and turn and keep Eddie up either. His partner was already having trouble sleeping from having to constantly battle with his own anxieties as the due date got closer and closer. Nothing Buck did or said would soothe Eddie’s fear of something going wrong during delivery.

Buck felt a sharp kick and he pressed his hand over it with a wince. “Come on, kid. Give me a break,” Buck said quietly, and he smoothed his thumb over the spot where he could feel a little foot or hand. Buck shuffled over and settled onto the couch, gingerly lifting his legs so he could curl up on his left side. He reached up to rub his itchy eyes before he settled, the baby seeming to settle as well. Buck smoothed his hand over where he’d last felt a kick and slowly he felt himself dozing off again.

A sudden cramp in his back jolted Buck awake and he couldn’t help but suck in a shaky gasp. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his hands into the cushion below his cheek but after a moment it passed. Buck pushed himself up and his first thought was that he was having contractions. It wasn’t dangerous for him to be having them since he was considered full-term, but Buck took a deep breath- not wanting to spiral or panic. He remembered something Bobby had said about testing if they were Braxton Hicks. He made his agonizingly slow way into the kitchen and refilled his glass of water. He waited for a little while before he felt the same cramping pain grip his back and then took a drink water. The pain didn’t go away and Buck swore in his head as he swallowed.

Well, he was definitely in labor.

…..

Buck tried to go back to sleep, but he’d be dozing- balanced on the edge of actually getting some sleep- when another short contraction would hit. He’d given up and decided to try and do something to keep his mind off of everything that was happening.

He quietly gathered up some laundry- not actually tossing a load in since their washer and dryer was so loud and he didn’t want to wake either Christopher or Eddie- and then went to the coffeemaker and flipped it on to start brewing. He had to stop for a moment and frown his way through the discomfort of another contraction before he walked down to the nursery, pulling out his phone as we went to send Bobby a quick text.

 **Buck:** Hey, Bobby. I’m not going to be coming in. I’m pretty sure I’m in labor.

Buck hadn’t expected a reply since Bobby was most likely still asleep, so he just tucked his phone back into the pocket of his basketball shorts before going to work. He and Eddie had mostly planned what they wanted to put in the hospital bag, but- like everything else throughout the whole experience- they’d put it off and hadn’t actually _done_ it. He folded up a couple of baby outfits- a onesie with yellow and white stripes and short, navy blue sleeves and the space print onesie that Christopher had so eagerly picked out- and settled them into the diaper bag. He also tucked a duck-printed blanket, a couple of bottles, and some formula into the bag before he lifted it and headed into his and Eddie’s room. A quick glance at the clock said that Eddie’s normal routine of waking up at 5:45 wasn’t far off. Buck was as quiet as possible as he opened up a drawer to pull out a pair of pajamas as well as a set of comfortable clothes for Eddie and himself. He quietly slid the drawer back into place before putting the clothes into the bag and leaving it on top of the dresser.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see a text from Bobby.

 **Bobby:** Are you heading to the hospital?

Is Eddie awake?

 **Buck:** The contractions still really far apart and they don’t last very long, so I didn’t wake him up.

He made his way out to the kitchen to start on making breakfast. He was careful with the stovetop and the knife as he cooked scrambled eggs and chopped up some fruit for breakfast. He poured out two mugs of coffee and was rifling through the fridge to pull out the carton of orange juice that had somehow gotten pushed into the back.

He heard a soft shuffling behind him and he turned, the juice in his hand, to see Eddie coming out of their room, sleep-rumpled and hair sticking up. He moved over and gave Buck a sleepy kiss, his hand brushing over Buck’s bump. “How long have you been up?” Eddie asked around a yawn as he squinted at Buck as he went over to grab a mug of coffee.

“A while,” Buck admitted as he got down a glass for Christopher.

“I could have turned down the air and given Christopher another blanket,” Eddie said and gave Buck a soft frown.

“It’s fine,” Buck said and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I probably wouldn’t have gotten much sleep anyway. I went into labor about an hour and a half, two hours ago.” Eddie’s eyes widened as he realized what Buck had said.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Eddie asked and leaned his hip against the edge of the counter.

“Because I didn’t want you panicking. They’re not close together and they don’t last very long. And my water hasn’t broken, so there’s no reason to even call Dr. Carter yet.” Buck put a hand to Eddie’s upper arm and smoothed his thumb over Eddie’s sleeve. He felt another contraction and he pulled his hand back, not wanting to grip at Eddie’s arm when it really wasn’t that bad if he didn’t stand a certain way to aggravate his hip. Eddie’s face flashed with worry and he put a steadying hand on Buck’s waist. “I’m okay,” Buck said and waved his hand. “I already texted Bobby so he knows what’s going on.”

Eddie nodded and he rubbed Buck’s back for a moment before leaning forward to press a kiss against Buck’s temple. “I should go get Christopher up. Make sure he’s fed and ready for when Carla gets here.”

“I’ll be here,” Buck said and he poured a glass of juice for Christopher before plating everything up and putting it on the table. He heard Eddie and Christopher shuffling around and then the soft click of Chris’s crutches on the floor as he made his way out of his bedroom. He was still in his pajamas and his curls were sticking up on one side and flat on the other. “Morning, buddy.”

“Morning, Buck,” Christopher said and came over. Just as he had been doing for the past month or so, he held onto the hem of Buck’s shirt in some semblance of a hug before he leaned his forehead against Buck’s waist. “Morning, baby.” Buck smoothed a hand over Chris’s head. Christopher had been talking to the baby ever since he and Buck had read something about babies learning to recognize certain voices while still in utero. Christopher had insisted that the baby learn his voice so that they could already be friends when the baby was finally born. It had melted Buck’s heart, and as much as it made him want to crawl out of his own skin sometimes, he would never tell Chris that he wasn’t allowed to touch or talk to the baby.

“Alright, Superman,” Eddie said and lifted Chris up to press a smacking kiss to his cheek. “It’s time for your breakfast. Don’t want Carla accusing me of never feeding you.” Eddie tickled Christopher’s ribs playfully after putting him down in a chair.

Buck grinned as he moved to take a sip out of his own mug of coffee as he watched the two of them, Eddie settling down at his own place. Buck moved over to sit in his spot at the table.

…..

Buck had waited until Eddie was working Christopher through his PT exercises before getting him dressed to slip away to take a quick shower, hoping the warm water would help ease some of the aches from him tensing through some of the slightly more intense contractions. He was just about to finish up with his shower when he felt a small pop and some water run down the inside of his thigh that wasn’t from the shower.

“Shit,” Buck muttered through his teeth and he waited until the feeling stopped before he turned off the water. He stood there for a while before he carefully stepped out and wrapped a towel around his shoulders. He just quickly dried himself off before tugging on his clothes. He pushed a hand through his sopping wet hair before grimacing and towel-drying his hair. When the next contraction hit, he let out a harsh breath at how different- and more intense- it felt and he had to lean onto the counter to keep himself mostly upright.

“Buck?” Buck lifted his head and he shot Eddie a weak smile. “Hey, what’s going on?” Eddie asked and put a hand on Buck’s back so gently- like he was worried that he was going to hurt Buck.

“Water just broke,” Buck said and he straightened up after the pain passed. “Should probably call Dr. Carter. I can do it if you-”

“No, I can do it,” Eddie said as he rubbed a soothing circle into Buck’s back.

“Calmly?” Buck asked and there was a flicker of hesitation in Eddie’s face.

“Let me do this. Finish up getting ready,” Eddie said and leaned in to press a kiss to Buck’s shoulder. Buck nodded and he went about finishing up his normal routine before tossing some toiletries into a zippered bag. He put it in with the stuff to take to the hospital before sitting down on the edge of the bed. Eddie came back in, tucking his phone into his pocket, and pulled open one of his dresser drawers. “She said we should probably head to the hospital. I went ahead and texted Carla to give her a heads up.”

“Good thing I threw together our bag while you were still in bed,” Buck said with a grin. Eddie huffed out a short laugh as he tugged on a pair of socks and checked what Buck had put into the bag.

“Put on your socks and shoes, I’ll get this and the car seat ready before telling Christopher what’s going on. I don’t want him thinking that we’re going to work when we’re actually going to the hospital.” Eddie tucked his wallet into his pocket.

“Got it.” Buck got up and put on a pair of socks. He frowned before- just in case- he grabbed an old pair of compression socks to throw into the bag. He grimaced as another sharp contraction hit and he grit his teeth, leaning against the wall in the hallway, before it passed. “Pack these for me?” Buck asked before tossing the socks to Eddie. He frowned at them for a moment before tucking them into the bag alongside one of Buck’s LAFD hoodies and whatever it was that he’d been adding to it.

“What’s going on?” Christopher asked as he looked over from his position on the couch.

“Well, _mijo_ ,” Eddie said carefully and walked over to crouch in front of him. “Buck and I aren’t going to go into work today. We’re going to head to the hospital because Buck is having the baby.” Christopher’s eyes got really wide and he looked at Buck with a trembling lower lip before he frowned at his father.

“Wait, I can’t come with you?” Christopher asked and there was a hint of betrayal in his voice.

“Carla will bring you to the hospital after,” Eddie said and covered Chris’s knee with his hand. “It might be a really long time and we don’t want you to be worried.”

“I should be worried?” Christopher all but squeaked and looked over at Buck again nervously.

“No,” Buck said firmly when Eddie seemed to falter and moved to sit next to Chris, hiding his wince at the pain in his hips that was only getting worse, though he could tell it wasn’t a contraction. “But having a baby is really hard, and it might look really scary sometimes even though it isn’t.” Buck smoothed a hand through Christopher’s neatly combed hair.

Christopher didn’t look completely convinced, but the door opening and Carla coming in cut off anything conversations that might or might not have happened. “How’re my favorite boys?” Carla asked as she set her purse aside and gave them all smiles.

“Buck’s having the baby,” Christopher said with a worried crease between his brows. “And Daddy won’t let me come to the hospital with them.”

Carla clicked her tongue. “Hey now, that’s no way to look at it. Your Dad and Buck are going to the hospital to have a baby, and you and I are going to have a great time until you can meet your new little brother or sister. I may or may not have some fun surprises that you and I can do for your Dad and Buck, but if you don’t want to do them…” Carla trailed off pointedly and Christopher shook his head.

“No, I- I want to,” Christopher insisted.

“Alright then. Give your Dad and Buck some hugs and kisses to stock up on and let them hop to it,” Carla said. Christopher slid down from his spot on the couch to wrap his arms around Eddie’s neck tightly and press a couple kisses against Eddie’s cheek. He scrambled back up and over to Buck, though once he was on Buck’s level he was much more careful with his movements, to do the same.

“Thank you, Christopher,” Buck said and he gave the boy a reassuring smile. “We’ll be calling you before you know it. Promise,” Buck said and held out his pinky finger. Christopher wrapped his own around Buck’s.

Eddie helped Buck up and Carla gave his arm a squeeze before they were out to Buck’s jeep- since they’d practiced installing the car seat into his jeep because Buck had a marginally longer leave than Eddie did- so they could head to the hospital.

Buck could tell that his contractions were getting a little closer together, and Eddie seemed to only get stiffer and more anxious as each one came and went, but he reached out to put a hand on Eddie’s thigh. “It’s going to be okay, Eds.”

“I know,” Eddie said, but it was just as tense- if not more so- than his posture. Buck pressed his thumb against the top of Eddie’s thigh soothingly before pulling his hand back so he could just focus on traffic and his own breathing.

…..

Watching Buck go through labor was really hard.

Eddie knew that was probably such a selfish thought to be having since Buck was clearly in a lot of pain, what with actually having to be the one to have the baby, but he couldn’t help it. He’d never done well seeing Buck hurt. Especially when it was obvious that Buck was trying to hide how much pain he was actually in for Eddie’s sake.

Eddie smoothed his hand over Buck’s forehead so Buck’s hair would be off his overheated skin, not sure what he could really do or say. It made him worry if he was a bad partner for being so unsure, flashes back to Shannon’s labor with Christopher coming to the front of his mind and making his breathing hitch a little in his chest.

“Talk to me, Eddie. I need something to distract me,” Buck said and Eddie scrambled to find something to talk about.

“I was thinking that next year Christopher could go to that summer camp he was talking about,” Eddie said, latching onto the first thing that popped into his head. “I know he was really excited at the possibility before the baby, but when I tried to bring it up, he told me he didn’t want to miss the baby being born. But maybe next year?”

“I think it’d be good for him, but two weeks seems like forever,” Buck laughed, a little breathlessly as he shifted in the bed with a wince. Eddie reached out to hold onto Buck’s hand, hoping to provide whatever comfort he could.

“He’ll be nearly eleven,” Eddie pointed out and used his free hand to run through Buck’s hair. “And after the newness of the baby has worn off, he might want his space.” Eddie pulled a face and Buck laughed again, turning his face into Eddie’s hand to press a kiss to the heel of his palm. Another contraction hit and Buck squeezed Eddie’s hand hard enough that Eddie himself winced a little, but he didn’t complain. Buck needed him to just be at his side right now.

“How’re we doing?” They both looked up to see Dr. Carter coming in with a soft smile on her face.

“I feel like shit,” Buck said and it made Dr. Carter laugh.

“Welcome to having babies,” she said before going over to check Buck’s monitors. A short frown flickered across her face. Eddie knows that face. It was a face he’d seen Hen and Chim make on a daily basis. It was the ‘something isn’t quite right but I don’t want to make the patient panic’ face.

Eddie’s stomach dropped down into his feet.

Buck must have noticed it too because he shifted a little nervously. “What is it?” Buck asked and Eddie could hear the slightest tremor of nerves in his voice. He wrapped an arm around Buck’s shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of his head tenderly.

“Well,” Dr. Carter said and she looked over to the both of them with a frown. “Things have slowed down a little more than we would like. I’m going to see if I can get a second opinion, but if I’m right, we might need to have a discussion about what you want to do next. I’ll be right back.” She nodded to them before taking Buck’s chart out with her.

Eddie’s heart was hammering against his chest uncomfortably as he smoothed a hand over Buck’s shoulders. “It’s going to be okay,” Eddie said, not really sure if he believed it or not. He pressed another kiss to the top of Buck’s head soothingly. They’d already been at the hospital nearly eight hours, but every time Dr. Carter came in to check on Buck the baby wasn’t in the right position or Buck’s body just wasn’t relaxed enough. “So,” Eddie said, shifting the topic away from the worry that they were both feeling, “who do you think will cry first when they come to visit? Chim or Maddie?”

“Bobby,” Buck joked and smiled up at Eddie. Eddie snorted and shook his head before he reached over for Buck’s water and offered it to him.

“You need to stay hydrated,” Eddie reminded when Buck frowned at him a little. “And it’ll help cool you down.” Buck took a few small sips but then he just slumped against Eddie’s side, his face pressed against Eddie’s ribs. Eddie knew Buck well enough to see the way his partner was feeling the strain, the exhaustion.

Dr. Carter came in and with the serious expression on her face, Eddie knew that whatever it was, it probably wasn’t the best news. “We’ve got a decision that needs to be made and it should probably be made sooner rather than later.” Dr Carter folded her arms over her chest. “Given that Buck’s contractions have plateaued and that he has a stress fracture on his pelvis-”

“I’m sorry, what?” Eddie asked, this the first time he’d heard about it. Buck grimaced a little when Eddie pulled back just a fraction to look at him and Eddie wasn’t sure if it was over that piece of information or if it was another contraction.

“A week or so ago, Mr. Buckley came into my office complaining of inordinate amounts of pain in his hip. We did an x-ray, which is perfectly safe given that we only had to take two images,” Dr. Carter said quickly to quell Eddie’s anxiety, “but we found a stress fracture along part of his pelvis. There wasn’t a solid break and there were no fragments, so other than the pain there wasn’t anything to warrant any intervention.” She sighed heavily and continued from where Eddie had interrupted her. “Given the slight stall and the fracture, we’re worried that a prolonged labor may put stress on the baby as well as worsen the break.”

Eddie swallowed thickly. “So what exactly does that mean?” Eddie asked.

“I can’t make this decision for you,” Dr. Carter said, “but it is my professional opinion that we should prep you for a C-section before the baby drops down any further. The baby is in a decent position to prevent any more damage to Buck’s pelvic bone as well as to minimize complications with delivery.”

Eddie looked at Buck, whose eyes were fixed firmly on Dr. Carter. He was obviously deep in thought, but he winced a little and glanced up at Eddie with a hint of doubt in his face.

“I can give you a few minutes to talk it over and make a decision, but I wouldn’t recommend waiting any more than another hour.” Dr. Carter looked between the two of them sympathetically before she stepped out of the room to give them some privacy.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Eddie asked quietly. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling other than a little stung that Buck didn’t think he could trust Eddie with something so important.

“Dr. Carter said it wasn’t likely to cause any complications and I didn’t want you to worry,” Buck said and he turned to face Eddie more fully. “I trust you more than anyone in the world,” Buck said, knowing exactly what was running through Eddie’s mind, “but I know this is really hard for you and I didn’t want to make it worse.”

Eddie swallowed thickly and glanced up at the ceiling to give himself a moment. “So what do you want to do, Buck?” Eddie asked, pushing aside the anxiety that was wrapping itself around his heart and lungs. He didn’t like either option himself. A traditional delivery would put stress on the baby and potentially cause more complications for the both of them as well as Eddie knowing how uncomfortable the thought had been making Buck the closer his due date came. But on the other hand, the alternative

was another surgery and within the past five years alone, Buck had already been through so many- a handful of which Eddie had had to sit through, waiting. But whatever Buck decided, Eddie was going to support him because that’s why Eddie was there. To love and support Buck as Buck brought their kid into the world.

Buck chewed his lip for a second and sighed. “Honestly, if Dr. Carter thinks that the C-section is the better option, I think that’s what we should do.”

“Okay,” Eddie said and he leaned in to press a kiss to Buck’s temple. “I’ll go get her. Do you want me to text Maddie and let her know? Or Bobby?”

Buck’s lower lip trembled for a moment but then he shook his head. “We can tell them afterwards. They’ll only want to rush down here and I’m not sure I want a room full of people here right after they bring me out.”

Eddie nodded and he stepped out of the room, with a whispered promise to be right back, to see Dr. Carter tapping at her phone. “Hey, uh- Buck’s made up his mind,” Eddie said and nodded over his shoulder to where he still had his foot wedged in the door.

Dr. Carter tucked her phone into her pocket and marched back into the room. “So what’ll it be?” Dr. Carter asked lightly to help ease some of the tension in the room.

“Let’s do the C-section,” Buck said confidently and he smoothed a hand over the swell of his bump, his papery hospital gown crinkling.

“It’s not without risks of its own complications,” Dr. Carter stated but Buck just nodded.

“I know, but this is what you think is best and I trust you,” Buck said.

Dr. Carter nodded with a sincerity in her eyes. “Let’s get a nurse in here to help get you prepped. We’ll have your baby in your arms roughly 40-45 minutes after surgery starts.” She went over and gave Buck’s hand a gentle squeeze before giving Eddie a reassuring smile.

…..

They prepped Buck pretty quickly and Eddie held onto his hand through as much of it as possible. “I love you,” Eddie said and he leaned in to press a quick kiss to Buck’s mouth, not really comfortable kissing Buck in a room full of strangers but not wanting to pull away from him.

“Love you too,” Buck said and he was obviously already starting to feel the effects of the anesthesia if the slightly glazed look in his eye was anything to go back.

“If you’re ready,” one of the nurses said and Buck just nodded before leaning in to kiss Eddie again.

“I’ll be right back,” Buck said and he let go of Eddie’s hand. Eddie frowned but he moved to follow after Buck when they started to wheel him out. A nurse touched his shoulder and he turned his frown onto the young man.

“Actually sir, we’re going to take you to a separate room. We’ll get you all scrubbed up and ready for when you’re allowed into the room.”

“You mean I can’t be with him the whole time?” Eddie asked and sucked in a shaky breath.

“I’m sorry, hospital policy only allows the support person to be in the room just before the baby is delivered and they have to leave when the baby is taken down to the nursery,” the nurse explained. Eddie knew his breathing was too shallow, but he couldn’t help it. While he’d hated the idea of watching Buck be in pain, the idea of not being there through everything was even worse. “You’ll be able to stay with the baby the whole time,” the nurse said and gently started to guide Eddie to wherever it was that they were going.

Eddie just nodded.

He went through the motions of everything they told him to do to get him ready and then he was left alone in the small, plain room for a while with his own thoughts. He focused on his breathing as well as the thought that in under an hour he was going to be able to hold his and Buck’s kid in his arms. A hopefully healthy baby with Buck there to grin at him and make fun of him how nervous he was at that moment.

“We’re ready for you,” a new nurse came in and told him. He nearly jolted out of his seat but he stuck close to her as she lead him into the OR where Buck was laid out. Eddie couldn’t see over the sheet they’d strung up, but he figured it was probably for the best. Seeing random strangers insides was different than seeing his partner’s insides. The nurse gestured to the chair by Buck’s head and Eddie sat down and gave Buck a small smile.

“How’re you holding up?” Eddie asked softly, gently stroking over the back of Buck’s hand.

“I’m okay. Feels weird to be awake,” Buck admitted and he tilted his head as much as he was able to give Eddie a winning smile. “What about you?”

“Don’t even worry about it,” Eddie waved his hand and leaned in to press a soft kiss to Buck’s cheek.

“Almost there,” Dr. Carter said from behind the curtain, her familiar voice helping a little bit to calm Eddie’s frayed nerves. There was some shuffling and then a soft cry that quickly turned louder. “Here we are.” The sheet got pulled down enough so that they could both see the pink, crying baby. “You have a beautiful baby girl with a set of _lungs_ on her.”

Eddie let out a shaky laugh and he felt tears burning at his eyes as he took in their little girl. Eddie ducked down and pressed a shaky kiss to Buck’s mouth, feeling the huff of laughter that was pulled from Buck as well. “We’ve got a girl,” Eddie said and Buck just nodded, tears streaking out of the corners of his eyes as well.

“You want to cut the cord, Mr. Diaz?” Dr. Carter asked and raised an eyebrow.

Eddie nodded and he couldn’t help the grin that overtook his face. “Yeah.”

“Alright, cut just there,” Dr. Carter pointed out where and handed Eddie the scissors. Much like they had been when Christopher had been born, Eddie’s hands were shaking a little and it was still a lot harder than it looked. “Perfect,” she said when Eddie had done it and then the nurses were taking the little girl over to be cleaned up and weighed.

Eddie came back to Buck’s side and he pressed quick kisses against Buck’s mouth and cheeks. “I love you,” he murmured against Buck’s skin.

“I love you too, Eddie,” Buck said a little breathlessly, but he was flushed and bright with happiness.

“I hate to break up the party, but they’re going to sew him up and you’ve got to come with me,” the nurse who’d led him in said softly, obviously reluctant to break up their moment.

“Go on,” Buck said and brushed his nose against Eddie’s jaw before pressing a kiss to his chin. “I’ll be back before you can even miss me.”

“I always miss you,” Eddie said softly before ducking in for one last kiss. He followed after the nurse and right outside the OR, they’d waited with the baby so Eddie could walk with her down to the nursery where they were going to run the typical tests.

“What’s this little miss’s name?” The nurse asked after helping Eddie out of the sterile garments that had covered his clothes.

“Bobbie,” Eddie said with a soft smile as he walked alongside the bassinet.

“It’s a good name,” the nurse said and while Eddie was sure she’d say that no matter what he’d said, it still felt good to hear. Eddie reached out and brushed his finger over her tiny hand and the tears pricked at his eyes again as her tiny fist pressed back against his finger.

Once they got to the nursery, the nurses went about getting ready for the screenings while Eddie just stood next to Bobbie’s bassinet and watched her. They took her just for a bit to weigh her and measure her, but then the nurse was coming over and nodding at Eddie’s chest. “We’re about to do a heel stick if you want to hold her while we do it. If you don’t think you can, we can have a nurse do it.”

“I can do it,” Eddie said and he bent his knees so the nurse could settle Bobbie into his arms. “Hey,” Eddie said softly as the nurse cleaned one of Bobbie’s tiny little feet. “I’m your dad, well one of them,” Eddie said and he couldn’t help but wince a little as the nurse stuck Bobbie’s foot and Bobbie started to cry. “It’s okay, _mi pequeña_ ,” Eddie soothed and patted her back gently as the nurse collected the blood they needed. Once she’d wiped any extra blood away, Eddie cradled Bobbie even closer. He shushed her, brushing a kiss against her forehead and just rocking a little. She quieted down and slowly seemed to drift a little, not quite awake and not quite asleep. Eddie just stared down at her tiny features and tried to pick out which one were his and which ones were Buck’s, but he ended up just marveling at how perfect she was.

…..

Buck came to groggily, not even remembering falling asleep, and for a moment his mind was muddled. He rubbed at his face and at the ache in his lower abdomen, it all slammed into him. Strangely enough, he felt a little hollow knowing that the baby- their baby _girl_ \- wasn’t resting just under his ribs anymore.

He went to touch the spot, but someone caught his wrist gently. Buck cracked open an eye to see Eddie in the chair beside his bed, his hand curled around Buck’s wrist to keep him from pressing his hand to his still-visible, because of course it was that’s not how that _worked_ \- bump.

“Should probably avoiding touching near your incision if you can help it,” Eddie pointed out and gently tugged Buck’s hand so that he could press a kiss against the back of it.

“Where is she?” Buck asked, his voice a little rough.

“Right over there,” Eddie said and nodded to Buck’s other side. Buck tilted his head and sure enough, Bobbie’s bassinet was right beside his bed. “She’s beautiful, Buck,” Eddie said and Buck could hear the pride in his voice.

“She has so much _hair_ ,” Buck blurted out and then huffed out a laugh, wincing as it pulled at his stitches. Buck turned his head to look back at Eddie, who was just grinning. “Maybe the anesthetic hasn’t worn off the whole way,” Buck said and let his eyes fall shut for a moment.

“Get some more sleep, Buck. You’ve more than earned it,” Eddie said and Buck heard him stand. He felt Eddie brush a kiss against his forehead.

“I want to hold her,” Buck said, but he could tell that he sounded just as- if not even more- tired than he felt as he forced his eyes back open.

“Give the anesthetic a little more time,” Eddie said and smoothed Buck’s hair back from his face gently. “She’s not going anywhere.”

Buck hummed and he felt himself drift off again. He wasn’t sure how long it was before he woke up, but when he did, he could hear Eddie’s voice drifting into the room from just outside. Buck turned his head and Bobbie was still in her bassinet, but she was wiggling around a little this time, tiny limbs getting used to having much more space.

“Hey, you,” Buck said softly and shifted a little so he could reach out and run his fingers over one of her little arms. She made a soft noise that had Buck’s heart turning to mush in his chest and making his eyes tear up again. He brushed them away and took a deep breath. He didn’t want Eddie coming in to him crying and thinking something was wrong. Not when everything was absolutely amazing.

“Feeling a little stronger?” Eddie’s voice was soft from the doorway and Buck nodded. “They told me that you shouldn’t really lift too much, so let me help you.” Eddie grabbed the pillow that had been sitting on his chair and settled it gently against Buck’s stomach to help pad his incision site before he lifted Bobbie up. She fussed a little and Eddie just stroked a hand over the back of her head soothingly. “Oh, I know,” he cooed softly as he helped transfer her over to Buck’s arms. “But your other dad wants some time to hang out.”

Buck bit his lip and he couldn’t help the sudden burst of warmth that spread throughout his chest at finally getting to hold her. She seemed so tiny in his arms, so fragile. He stroked a finger over the considerable shock of dark hair on her head. “I can’t believe we made this,” Buck said as he pressed the softest kiss he could to her round little cheek.

“Me neither, but I was with her the whole time. She’s ours,” Eddie joked, but his voice was obviously thick with emotions and- if Buck had been able to tear his eyes away from Bobbie for more than a microsecond- tears in his eyes.

When she started to fuss, Eddie showed Buck how the nurse had taught him to feed her since they were strictly doing bottle feeding because Buck had had top surgery years ago and didn’t even want to try to cope with the dysphoria of _that_. Eddie grabbed a small towel and burped her, just because Buck had no clue how and his arms were already shaking from the effort of holding her so long.

“Next time,” Buck said and gave Eddie a stern look that had him grinning back at Buck easily.

Nurses came in and checked on the two of them- giving them some information about normal things post-birth that Buck would need to deal with as well as instructions on incision site care- before Dr. Carter came, fussing over and praising Bobbie appropriately, before doing some quick checks on Buck- including telling him he needed to put on compression socks as soon as he was feeling up to getting up and walking around. She nodded resolutely and signed off on his transfer from the recovery room, where he couldn’t have any visitors, to the postnatal ward.

Buck rested for a little while after that as Eddie made the last of the phone calls to their extended family. He couldn’t help but smile at the excitement in Eddie’s voice as he spoke in rapid-fire Spanish; he must have been talking to Abuela or his parents. Buck rubbed at his eyes as he finally felt decent enough to sit up properly, though he had to use the bed controls instead of just pushing himself up, and drink some of the water that was by his bed.

“Carla’s on her way with Christopher right now, and I’m sure the rest aren’t far behind,” Eddie said and sat down on the edge of Buck’s bed. “Feeling any better?” Eddie asked, concern shining in his eyes.

“A little sore,” Buck admitted and tried not to reflexively rub at the tenderness in his abdomen, “and definitely drained emotionally. But I’m really good, Eddie.” Eddie nodded and he leaned in so that he could kiss Buck softly, tracing his fingers over Buck’s jaw. Buck leaned into the touch and just soaked in the quiet while it lasted.

…..

“Buck!” Christopher was a ball of excitement and energy and before he got too close to Buck’s bed, Eddie intercepted him and swung him up onto his own hip. Carla was a few steps behind and gave the boy an exasperated look, no doubt from rushing ahead in front of her.

“Hey, buddy,” Eddie said and smoothed a hand down Christopher’s back. “Buck had to have another surgery, so you’re gonna have to be gentle. Okay?”

Christopher’s face scrunched up and he tilted his head. “What was the surgery for?”

“To help the baby,” Buck said easily and patted the spot on the bed next to him. “Your baby sister was being pretty stubborn.”

“I have a sister?” Christopher asked and looked between his parents, practically vibrating. “Just like Denny!”

“Just like Denny,” Eddie confirmed and settled Chris on the spot next to Buck carefully. “Do you want to hold her?”

Christopher bit his lip and he suddenly turned shy. “Can I?” He looked between the three adults in the room almost like he was worried they were going to say no.

“Of course, buddy,” Buck said and leaned in to press a kiss to Christopher’s curls. “You’ll need to be careful to hold her head since she’s not really all that strong yet.”

“I can do it,” Christopher said and puffed up his chest. Buck laughed lightly and helped to settle a pillow into Christopher’s lap to help as Eddie moved to get Bobbie from her bassinet. She fussed at being picked up, even as Eddie shushed her gently as he walked over to Chris, but it wasn’t until she was settled into Christopher’s arms, Eddie’s hand still lingering around her head, that she seemed to settle. “It’s okay,” Christopher said quietly to her as he kept his arms steady. “I’m your big brother.” Bobbie turned her face into Christopher’s chest contentedly and Christopher bit down on his eager grin. “She’s pretty neat,” Christopher said and lifted his head to glance at Buck.

“That she is,” Carla piped up from where she’d been lingering back to give them a little time of their own. “And what is our sweet girl’s name?”

“Bobbie,” Buck said and brushed a finger over where her hair was standing up a little.

“Hi, Bobbie,” Christopher said quietly, “I’m Christopher.” Bobbie made a soft little gurgling noise and Eddie smiled at the pair.

“I think she recognizes your voice, kid,” Eddie said and smoothed his free hand over Christopher’s hair. Christopher just nodded silently before brushing a kiss to her forehead. It was so innocently sweet, and Buck knew that there was no way they were going to have to worry about any sibling rivalry- at least for a little while- because Christopher was absolutely enamored with his younger sister.

“Let me get a picture of all of you together,” Carla said and held up her phone. Eddie glanced over at Buck and Buck nodded. As terrible as he felt and knew the pair of them probably looked, he also knew that they would regret it if they didn’t. “Smile,” Carla prompted and Buck felt a smile tugging at his mouth as he glanced down at where Christopher was beaming into the camera proudly. “It’s perfect,” Carla said and gave them all a grin that was tinged with wet eyes.

They talked for a little while, Christopher perfectly content to just hold his baby sister, before Buck felt a little restless. He’d spent most of his labor in his hospital bed since he couldn’t really walk around very well with the added pressure on his fracture, but with Bobbie on the outside of him now, and since it was the doctor’s recommendation, he wanted to get up.

“I’ve got to change out of his gown,” Buck said and tugged at it awkwardly. “Eddie-?”

“I’ve got you,” Eddie said and came around to the opposite side of the bed from where Christopher was sitting. “You sure you can do this?” Eddie asked so that only Buck would be able to hear him as he helped Buck swing his legs over the side of the bed, Buck grimacing a little at the movement.

“I’m good,” Buck said a little breathlessly. He didn’t feel dizzy or weak, but he also wasn’t standing yet either.

“Lean on me,” Eddie said and slowly helped Buck stand up. Buck’s legs wobbled for a moment, but then he was getting his bearings and nodding at Eddie. “Just… keep ahold of me, okay?”

Buck nodded and he held onto Eddie’s arm as they made their way into the small bathroom. Buck leaned back against the counter as Eddie darted out to grab their hospital bag with Buck’s clothes in it.

Buck was a little embarrassed, even though it was just him and Eddie, as he went to the bathroom. He tried not to think too hard about anything as he changed out the sanitary pad and then washed his hands, maybe scrubbing a little harder than necessary. Eddie put a gentle hand onto Buck’s shoulder to keep him from tearing his skin off, and just gently guided him through the motions of getting Buck into his sweats, Eddie being so gentle around the bandages that were covering his incision, and then helping Buck with his t-shirt since Buck felt like he could barely lift his arms without hurting himself.

“Hey,” Eddie said softly and tilted Buck’s chin towards him before Buck could try and duck out of the bathroom. “I love you.” He said it so sincerely that Buck couldn’t help but let some of the tension ease from his body.

“I know,” Buck said and leaned in to give Eddie a quick peck. Buck had to sit down and let Eddie do the compression socks for him since he was starting to feel a little shaky from both the effort of moving around and from the soreness that was starting to get to him. When they shuffled out of the bathroom, Buck jumped as he saw that there were more people in the room than when they’d left.

Carla must have settled Bobbie back into her bassinet because Christopher was standing next to it like he was on guard duty while Carla chatted quietly with Maddie and Chim right inside the doorway.

“They’re back,” Christopher said and grinned as Eddie helped Buck get back into bed.

“Hey,” Maddie said and came over to stand beside Buck’s bed. Her hand covering his actually felt really good. “How absolutely awful is it?” Maddie asked with a small smile as she smoothed her free hand over her own very slight baby bump.

“Pretty fuc-freakin’,” Buck quickly corrected but judging by Eddie’s disapproving face and Christopher’s stifled giggles it wasn’t quick enough, “awful. But it’s worth it.”

Maddie beamed at him and Chim came over to stand beside her, his hand resting on the small of her back easily. “Well, for someone who just went through nine hours of labor, you don’t look too awful bad, Buckaroo,” Chimney said and poked at Buck’s shin.

“Actually eleven, closer to twelve,” Buck said primly and sniffed. “And of course I look good. I make everything look good.” Chim let out a short burst of laughter, which made Buck huff a little laugh of his own. Maddie glanced over to where Christopher was standing next to Bobbie and Buck knew his sister well enough to know what she was thinking. “Mads,” he said softly and waited until Maddie was looking at him. “Go hold your niece before you explode.”

Maddie flushed a little at being caught-out, but then she walked over and just admired the baby for a moment. “Her name is Bobbie,” Christopher said proudly. Chim turned to look at Buck with a raised eyebrow.

“Cap knows,” Eddie said and pushed a hand through his hair. “We told him at the party.”

“She’s gorgeous, Ev,” Maddie said before carefully lifting Bobbie up and walking over to the chair beside Buck’s bed and sitting down. Bobbie’s eyes were open and she seemed to be mostly looking at Maddie as Maddie cooed over her softly.

“Seems like you’ve got some more visitors,” Carla said with a smile and Buck turned to see Bobby and Athena standing in the doorway. Athena walked in easily, but Bobby seemed to hesitate before he came in, hanging back a little.

“How’re you feeling?” Athena asked and in the softest, maternal gesture, she stroked Buck’s hair back like he were Christopher’s age instead of nearly thirty.

“Sore, and a little tired, but I’m good.” Buck grinned and he couldn’t help but feel pretty damn proud that he wasn’t having to plaster it on, it was genuine. “And you’ll be happy to know that you guys were right, it’s a girl.”

Bobby’s nervous expression only seemed to have grown more nervous.

“She finally have a name that you’ll tell us?” Athena asked. Buck and Eddie had been a little secretive about the options for the baby’s name- which they’d picked out no matter which way it had gone- but it had felt like something special that the two of them could hold onto for just a little bit longer.

“Yeah,” Eddie said and he looked at Bobby seriously. “Her name is Bobbie Marie Isabel Diaz.” Bobby blinked, almost as if he were startled, and Athena sucked in a sharp breath and turned to look at her husband.

“Wow,” Bobby breathed and he quirked a small smile.

“Do you want to hold her, Bobby?” Maddie asked from where she was still cradling Bobbie.

“Uh, yeah,” Bobby said. It was kind of hilarious how tentative Bobby seemed to be as Maddie stood and settled the baby into his arms. Eddie started talking to Chim and Athena, most likely as a way to take the attention off of Bobby as he cradled their baby girl. Buck felt a surge of affection at seeing the wetness in Bobby’s eyes as he just watched her as intently as she seemed to be watching him. When Bobby glanced up, Buck gave him a soft smile. He knew it wasn’t enough to convey everything he was thinking and feeling, but it was a start.

“I hope that I’m not too late,” Hen said as she walked in, a bear in turnout gear in her arms, still in her uniform from her shift.

Buck felt tears pricking at his eyes and despite how embarrassing it was, he felt them slip down his cheeks at being surrounded by the family that he’d made. When Eddie made a worried face, Buck just waved him off. “Damn hormones,” he muttered and swiped at his eyes.

“It’s okay,” Christopher said quietly and leaned against the side of Buck’s bed. “They’re the good kind of tears.”

“Yeah, buddy they are,” Buck said and smoothed his hand over Christopher’s curls. Christopher caught his wrist and just smiled at Buck before pressing his cheek against the back of Buck’s hand.

…..

Maddie and Chim left with promises to come back tomorrow and check back in with Buck the next day, Hen following not far behind since she needed to get home to help Karen with the kids.

Carla had gone home- at Buck and Eddie’s insistence- when Abuela had called and said that she would be at the hospital shortly so Christopher could stay with her, she just needed to run a quick errand first.

So it was just Eddie, Buck, Bobby, Athena, and the Diaz kids. Christopher was sitting up on the bed with Buck as Buck rested back against the bed, so many visitors having wiped him out in a way that he wouldn’t have expected. “I’m really glad you guys came,” Buck said around a yawn as he gave Bobby and Athena a soft smile.

“We wouldn’t have missed it for the world, kid,” Bobby said and Buck felt his chest get warm.

“I know that, but uh…” Buck bit his lip. “You guys are the closest thing that I have to parents. I know that it’s a big joke between us sometimes, but I really- you guys were there when I needed you. You were there when all of this,” Buck waved around the room and smiled so fondly over at where Bobbie was sleeping soundly, “started.”

“And we are gonna keep being there. You just pick up the phone whenever you need us,” Athena said but Buck could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

“Does that mean I get to call Cap, Grandpa?” Christopher asked quietly, breaking some of the seriousness of the moment and making Buck laugh- alongside Eddie and Athena- despite the pain that it caused. Bobby seemed genuinely overwhelmed at the question and Athena patted his hand.

“Baby steps, Chris,” Eddie said and leaned over to ruffle his son’s hair gently.

There was a light knock on the door and Eddie’s mouth dropped open at seeing his Abuela leading his parents into the room. “Mom, Papi,” Eddie said and stood from where he’d been sitting on the edge of Buck’s bed. “ _Que haces aqui_?”

“Edmundo,” Helena said with a slight frown. “Did you really think that we wouldn’t come to see our new grandbaby?”

“How did you-?” Eddie asked but Abuela just wrapped an arm around his waist.

“I called them the second that Carla texted me that you two were going to the hospital,” Abuela said and smoothed her hand between Eddie’s shoulder blades.

Eddie blushed and he ran a hand through his hair. “You really didn’t have to come _today_ ,” Eddie said and shifted on his feet. As much as Eddie had mended things with his parents over his leaving El Paso, Buck knew there was still some lingering insecurities on Eddie’s end of things.

“We should go and let you have some time with your family,” Bobby said and stood. Buck wanted to protest, but Eddie beat him to it.

“You are our family, Cap,” Eddie said firmly. “Please, stay.”

Bobby glanced at Athena, who simply raised an eyebrow from where she’d never stood in the first place. Then he looked at Buck and Buck just gave him a halfway pleading look that had him chuckling a little and sitting back down.

“Captain Nash,” Helena said with only the slightest hint of a question in her voice, “I believe we met when Eddie earned his shield.”

“Briefly,” Bobby said and gave her a nod. “It’s a pleasure to see you both again, this is my wife, Athena.”

“I’m sorry to have missed being at Eddie’s ceremony,” Athena said and smiled politely. Buck couldn’t help but suppress a smile at the protective stance that Athena took, most likely without even realizing it. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“And you,” Ramon said from his spot at Helena’s side.

“Abuelo, Grandma, you have to come see,” Christopher said as he slipped off of the bed, Buck’s hands automatically reaching out to steady him. “I have a baby sister.” He wiggled a little, none of the excitement having rubbed away in the couple of hours since he’d come to the hospital, before going over to lead them to where Bobbie was.

“Oh, she’s beautiful,” Helena said, though she didn’t disturb the sleeping baby- which Buck was immensely grateful for. She’d only really and truly started crying once, but Dr. Carter had been right when she said their girl had a set of lungs.

“Buck said she looks like Daddy,” Christopher said in a conspiratorial whisper. Buck flushed a little when Eddie’s parents looked over at him.

“She’s got his hair, his nose, the shape of his eyes- probably the color too once she gets a little older-” Buck shrugged. “She’s all Diaz, and who could really be mad about that?”

“I think she’s got your mouth,” Helena said after a moment and Buck felted touched at the attempt.

“She’s definitely inherited his lungs, that’s for sure,” Eddie teased and pressed a finger against his ear, pulling a face. Buck rolled his eyes.

“Just for that, you can get up in the middle of the night with her for the next three months,” Buck said with a scowl. Eddie held up his hands in surrender and Abuela swatted Eddie’s hip in retaliation since Buck couldn’t do it.

Buck knew there was a reason that he loved Isabel Diaz so much.

…..

Buck had spent three days in the hospital and by the time they were signing his discharge papers, he was ready to light his room on fire. The staff were so incredibly sweet and helpful, but Buck just wanted to go home and settle in with his boys and their new addition.

Eddie had convinced Christopher to wait at home for Buck and Bobbie to come home since Buck- while doing a lot better since his first day in the hospital- was still not back up to his full strength. Buck knew that Eddie was trying to give Buck the tiniest bit of calm before the storm of them adjusting to a newborn in the house. They both knew that right around the time they’d get a routine established, both Bobbie and Christopher needing a stable routine, that it’d all go to hell because Eddie would have to be back to work in a few short weeks.

Paternity leave sucked.

Eddie had fussed over the buckle on the car seat for twenty minutes before even thinking about leaving the hospital room to go down to the car. Buck loved Eddie for a multitude of reasons. All of which he had to constantly recite in his head each time Eddie insisted that something needed to be double-checked after he’d already checked it three times. Buck had to be escorted out in a wheelchair, which he hated, while Eddie carried Bobbie in her car seat. Buck thanked the nurse when they got outside where Eddie had parked Buck’s jeep before he stood and went to sit in the back beside where Bobbie’s car seat would be strapped it. Eddie locked it in expertly before getting into the driver’s seat and driving them home.

The drive was fairly long, L.A. traffic being what it was, but Buck didn’t mind as he watched Bobbie in her seat and listened to the low radio that Eddie had put on. He couldn’t help but feel his mind drift a little as he thought back to something he’d said to Maddie just after the accident with the ladder truck. He remembered saying that if he couldn’t be a firefighter than there was nothing with meaning that he could ever do or be. He cracked a small smile as he smoothed his hand over a wrinkle in Bobbie’s onesie and then over her tiny fist. As her hand curled around his finger and held on tightly, he realized how wrong he’d been when he said that.

He still loved his job and wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world, but his life had plenty of meaning outside of it. He was a friend, a pseudo-son, a partner- maybe a soon-to-be husband, a _father_ twice over now that Bobbie had come into their lives… and all of those things meant more to Buck than he had ever thought anything would.

And that didn’t mean his life was going to be easy or that there weren’t going to be roadblocks for him. Hell, he was sure that there were going to be some dark spots ahead just with the adjustments to having Bobbie in their lives, but it didn’t seem world-shattering anymore. At least not in the bad way. He was content. He was _happy_.

Eddie pulled into their driveway and turned in his seat to look back at Buck with an apprehensive look on his face. “Ready?” He asked quietly, not wanting to wake Bobbie from where she was napping easily.

“Yeah, I am,” Buck said and gave Eddie a soft smile before leaning forward to kiss him over the seats.

Eddie was grinning when Buck pulled away. “Well then, let’s go.”

**Author's Note:**

> So here's our little bean, Bobbie (spelled differently so that y'all can differentiate because otherwise it would be IMPOSSIBLE)! She's finally here and in the world! I'm going to be honest I cried a little during quite a bit of writing this because it really felt special to me. And I'm trying to be as realistic as possible but there's a lot about labor and delivery that people don't talk about on the internet so if it's inaccurate I'm sorry because I've never had a baby *shrug*  
> There's going to be more in this -verse, but for a bit I'm going to be taking a little break from this one in particular to write some other things. I hope y'all will understand and be patient with me :) As always, I've loved writing this and hearing from y'all  
> -James


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